DA hike: These states increase dearness allowance by 3% for government employees on Independence Day

New Delhi, Aug 15: In an Independence Day gift, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu governments announced a hike in the dearness allowance for government employees.

Speaking after hoisting the national flag at Modasa in Aravalli district during a state-level function to mark the country's Independence Day, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced a three per cent increase in the DA for Gujarat government employees under the 7th Pay Commission, with retrospective effect from January 1, 2022.

Some 9.38 lakh employees of the state government, panchayat service and pensioners will get the benefit, he said.

With this, the state government's financial burden will go up by about Rs 1,400 crore annually, he said.

Patel also announced the expansion of the one-kg gram (pulses) per card per family scheme for the NFSA card holders, and widening the income limit eligibility criteria for inclusion of beneficiaries under the Act.

He said 71 lakh NFSA card holders from all 250 talukas of the state will be given one kg gram (pulses) per card per month at a concessional rate. At present, only the people from 50 developing talukas are getting benefit of the scheme.

Tamil Nadu

A 3% hike in Dearness Allowance for State government employees and pensioners, an increase in the monthly pension for freedom fighters and their descendants were among the major announcements made by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin during his Independence Day address on Monday.

Hoisting the national flag on the ramparts of the Fort St. George in Chennai, Stalin said the 3% hike in DA would be granted with effect from July 1 this year. The hike would cost the exchequer a sum of Rs 1,947.60 crore and would benefit over 16 lakh employees and pensioners.

The monthly pension granted by the State government to freedom fighters would be increased from Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000 and the family pension would be revised from Rs 9,000 to Rs 10,000 from August 15.